Anglesey: A mum’s guide to the mother of Wales

Anglesey used to be called ‘Mam Cymru’ – the mother of Wales. So who better to show us its sights than entrepreneur Alison Lea-Wilson? She raised three children on Anglesey, as well as several flourishing businesses, including Anglesey Sea Zoo and, most recently, gourmet Halen Môn sea salt.

Perfect for the family break

It’s a wonderful place for a family holiday, too. The best place to start is Beaumaris, which has the castle of course, and also Beaumaris Gaol and Courthouse. Quite often there are plays, costumed dramas and other interactive things going on, which makes them particularly good for children. Then there’s crab fishing off the pier, followed by an ice-cream at the Red Boat, a really nice little ice-cream parlour on the main street.

If they want something a bit more energetic, there’s horse-riding at Tal y Foel near Brynsiencyn, or kayaking from Porth Daniel in Menai Bridge. They also do fast rib rides along the Strait, which are so exciting. The tides really rip through here, so you need to know where you’re going. There’s a stretch called the Swellies where there are whirlpools, and you can go right under both bridges, which is brilliant.

Beach breaks surround the island

My favourite beach, Newborough, it’s just fabulous, and there’s always something going on there. It’s also brilliant for sandcastles, gathering shells, watching kitesurfers, or simply running around. The best place for rock-pooling is the beach at ‘Church Island’ in Aberffraw.

The RSPB reserve at South Stack is great for children, because there’s a massive stone staircase that leads down to the lighthouse. We always used to take our kids there to build up an appetite. And the birds you see there are birds children will love - like puffins and choughs - which are very colourful and make lots of noise.